So it seems that folks just never tire of new meals featuring chickpeas and deliciously spiced vegetables. Though I must say, I am not at all surprised by this! Judging by a recent poll I *unofficially* conducted on Instagram stories (I just LOVE asking you guys questions there!) - a hearty chickpea and vegetable-based curry will get upvoted almost 2-1 over other recipe options almost always! Turns out you guys definitely share my tastes. I definitely need more easy curry recipes in my life too.

This recipe was first rolled out here at home as a new option for our family Christmas Eve dinner. I know, you might be thinking, Indian food for Christmas Eve? It's true, cuz why not? Definitely, it's not our usual holiday fare, but every once in a while it's nice to shake things up and do something different. Especially when it's this delicious. This Christmas, our family was hot off a quick trip to Lisbon, Portugal to visit family, and happy to be home in time for Christmas after a trying 24+ hours of weather affected air travel. After an excruciatingly frustrating travel experience, we arrived home even just a little more grateful than we normally would be to be home. We aren't really a 'travel over the holidays;' kind of family, preferring to hunker down at home with each other versus navigating the stressful experience of trying to do anything travel related when the entire world seems to be moving from here to there. So, once home safe and sound, we all agreed to try something new and enjoy some home-cooked comfort food at its finest and to NEVER travel before Christmas ever again ;).

This recipe is an adapted Aloo Gobi, and I've gone a little rogue here and added my favourite chickpeas to this deliciously spicy mixture of veggies. It's pretty tasty if I do say so myself, and I'm happy to say it's been on rotation here at home ever since we tried it that first lovely night.

Chickpea Cauliflower Curry:

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp nigella seeds (optional but yummy)
• 1 pound yellow-fleshed potatoes, cut into rough 2.5cm dice
• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets and chunks of stalks slightly larger than the potato
• 1 yellow onion, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 796 ml can tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted in a dry pan and ground (or use ground coriander)
• ½-1 tsp medium chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 small jalapenos, slit along their length
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1.5 cups cooked chickpeas, I use GRAIN Kabuli Chickpeas
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Juice of ½ a lime
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat (I use my Staub braiser pan). When it’s hot, add the cumin and optional nigella seeds and cook for a few seconds until they pop, then add the potatoes and sauté until golden. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and repeat with the cauliflower, then scoop this out into a separate bowl and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium-low, add a little more oil if necessary, and add the sliced onion. Cook until soft and golden but not brown, then stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes, ground coriander, chili and turmeric and cook, stirring regularly, until the oil begins to pool around the side of the pan.

Add the potatoes back in along with the jalapenos and salt, bring to a simmer, turn down the heat, cover and cook for five minutes. Add the cauliflower and a good splash of water, cover and cook until both are tender, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick and adding more water if necessary.

Take off the heat, stir in the cooked chickpeas and garam masala and leave for 10 minutes, then stir in the lime juice and fresh coriander before serving and taste to adjust salt, adding more if necessary. Serve with plain basmati, naan or as is with a side of plain yogurt. This recipe will only improve as it sits, so you get to look forward to those leftovers.

Full disclosure: I rely heavily on quality grains, beans, and freshly milled flour throughout my recipes, and I use and recommend the products from the company I co-founded, GRAIN throughout my posts.